Controlling mechanism



June 1 1926. 1,586,694

A. M. PETERS CONTROLLIING MECHANISM Fild July 5, 1924 INVENTOR Ado" PeTers ATI'ORNE Patented June 1, 1926.

UNITED STATES ADOLF M. PETERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM. 1

Application filed July 5, 1924. Serial No. 724,236.

My present invention relates generally to apparatus in which material is fed into the path of an operating mechanism for the purposes of having such mechanism operate thereon and as a result of which a load is placed upon the mechanism.

In an apparatus of this character, not only must the factor of the running torque be considered, that is, the amount of power that must be applied to the mechanism or prime mover to permit it to perform its functions when already in motion on the load, but the factor of the starting torque must also be considered, that is, that added increment of power which must be provided to start the prime mover while it is under the load of the material, and as the starting torque is necessary only for the relatively short starting period, it will be understood that the factors of motive power, strength and design of parts, must be calculated on a basis that far exceeds the general working requirements of the machine.

One of the important objects of my invention therefore is to so associate the feed and the operation of the prime mover, that the torque necessary to operate the prime mover even at its start will be substantially only that which is necessary while the prime mover is already in motion and operating on the load. and this object I attain by an interassociation between the controls for the feed and the operation of the prime mover.

While I have illustrated my invention as presenting an interassociation of controls, coacting mechanically, one of the controls being an electrical, and will so describe it, it will be understood that this is done merely as exemplifying in a specific way forms which my invention'may take, it being understood that the invention herein disclosed may be associated with other types of controls and that the interassociation of controls may be other than mechanical.

Another object of my invention is such an association of a material feed and mechanism operating thereon, as to prevent on the one hand thefeeding of material until the operating mechanism has overcome its starting torque, and on the other hand to cause the material fed to the operating mech anism'to be operated upon thereby before such mechanism is stopped operating.

For the attainment of these objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, I have illustrated in con nection with a coffee grinder, embodiments of my invention in the drawings wherein- Fig. 1 shows in front elevation a conventional type of coffee grinder.

Fig. 2 is an enlargement partly in section, of the feed grinder, with the controls in one position.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, with the controls in the op posite positions.

Figure 4: shows in top and side elevation another embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Before proceeding to describe my invention, I will premise that the conventional type of coffee grinder illustrated in the drawings comprises in a general way the hopper 10 within which is placed the supply of coffee to be ground, closed at its upper end as by the cover 11, the coffee being fed therefrom, through the neck or throat 12 into the grinding chamber 13 within which operates the grinding member 14, which grinding member in the illustrated embodiment is rotated by being fixed to the shaft 15 rotated in any desired or preferred manner as by the motor 16. Where this motor is electrically driven as in the illustrated embodiment, there are generally provided controls of any desired or preferred character, the position of which is generally governed by the factors of convenience and machine design, and in the illustrated embodiment of Figures 1, 2, and 3, these con- 'trols are shown as of the type known as the push button type in which there are provided two depressible buttons 21 and 22, that shown as white, namely 21, being arranged when depressed to close the circuit and start the motor and that shown as black at 22 being arranged when depressed to open the circuit to stop the motor. These buttons are interlocked in any preferred or desired manner as in a conventional way (not shown) for the purposes of causing the depression of one to move the other oppositely to its inoperative or fully raised position. These control buttons 21 and 22 are given their particular position in the illustrated embodiment for the purposes that will shortly appear.

Mechanisms of this character frequently, if not generally, have their feed to the grinding chamber 13 controlled so that the feed of the material to this chamber can be stopped and in the illustrated embodiment, I show one type of valve 17 which may be used for this purpose and which in Figure 3 in dotted lines is shown in a feed closing position, that is, the position in which it cuts 011' the feed from the hopper to the grinding chamber 13 and in the same figure, is shown in its operative position in full lines, the valve 17 being movable from operative to inoperative position or lirst position about its pivot 18, and for the purpose of providing for the association between the prime mover which in the illustrated embodiment has been set forth as a rotating grinder, and the feed of the material, 1 have provided upon the valve 17 of the illustrated embodiment an extension 19, upon which is mounted the handle grip 20.

Upon viewing Figure 2, it will be observed that in this position oi the controls, the valve 17 is in its closed or operative position with the feed shut oh and the motor is shut oil as is indicated by the depressed position of the black button and the raised position of the white button 21. It will be observed further that the position of valve 17 and particularly of the handle por tion 19 thereof with reference to the top of the raised button 21 is such that the valve cannot be moved counterclockwise to its open position as long as the button 21 is raised, and as a consequence as long as the button 22 is depressed. In other words, as long as the motor is shut off, and the grinding member 14 not operating as indicated by the protrusion of the button 21, the supply to the chamber 13 will be shut off. When the button 21 is depressed to start the motor, this button in its depressed position, will then be out of the path of the portion 19 of the valve 17 so as to permit the valve to be moved to its open or inoperative position, as shown in Figure 3, upon which the feed into the chamber may be resumed. As will be understood, a sulficient time will necessarily elapse between the depression of the button 21 and the opening of the valve 17 to permit the operating grinder 11 in the chamber 13 to be rotating at full speed before the material in the hopper 10 is fed to it.

With the grinder in operation, and the controls in the position shown in Figure 3, it will be understood that the portion 19 of. the valve 17 is positioned immediately above the starting button 21, thus preventing the depression of the button 22 as long as this valve 17 is in its open or inoperative position to permit a feed from the hopper 10 to the grinder 13. In other words, the grinder mechanism cannot be stopped unless the valve 17 is first moved to completely shut oil. the feed and here too there will be necessarily a sutficient lapse of time, to permit the grinding mechanism to finish grinding all the material in the chamber 13, which 111 ie co '11'1011d )e of 'rinder illustrated tl n 7C t 1 t D will be discharged from the chamber 13 into the receptacle 25. In this manner, the

chamber 13 will at all times be tree of material when the machine is not operating, and material will not be led thereto until the mechanism in the chamber has had a chance to gain its full momentum.

in Figs. and 5 l have illustrated similar interassociation of controls in which the controls are of a slightly dillercnt type, and as will be observed, as these 1' ircs a e cognpared, I show at an elect ital control oi an oscillating type to whica is attached the bar 31 having at its end the linger grip 3t), and in Figure 5, 1 show in full lines the oil position of this electrical control and in dotted lines the on p lion.

The valve or shut-ell 33 is ot the strai htsliding type and provided at its outer end with the turned over edge 31-, the width of the valve and its position, and the limits of its movement are such that with he clcctrical control in the oil position as shown in full lines in Figure the valve 33 cannot be moved to its open position and when the control is moved to its en position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5 and the gate valve 33 moved to its open position, this open position will present the gate valve in the path of the part 30 of the control 32 and prevents its being moved to its off position until the valve 33 has been moved to its closed position.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character described, in combination an operating mechanism, means for controlling the feed of material thereto, means tor rendering the operating mechanism ope 'ative and inoperative, the said two means being so associated and related as to prevent the feed of the material as long as the operating mechanism is inoperative.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination an operating mechanism, means for controlling the feed of material thereto, means for rendering the operating mechanism operative and inoperative, said two means being so associated and related as to prevent rendering the mechanism inoperative as long as the material is being fed to the mechanism.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination an operating mechanism, means for feeding material thereto, the two being so related and associated as to prevent the stopping of the mechanism as long as the n'iaterial is being fed to the mechanism.

at. Ina device of the character described, in combination, an operating mechanism,

valve means for controlling the feed of the material thereto, electrical controlling means for rendering the operating mechanism operative and inoperative, the latter means being movable into and out of the path of the movement of the former means, so as to prevent the feed of the material as long as the operating mechanism is inoperative.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination, an operating mechanism, valve means for controlling the feed of the material thereto, electrical controlling means for rendering the operating mechanism operative and inoperative, the latter means being movable into and out of the path of the movement of the former means, so as to prevent rendering the mechanism inoperative as long as the material is being fed to the mechanism.

-6. In a device of the character described, in combination, an operating mechanism, valve means for controlling the feed of the material thereto, electrical controlling means for rendering the operating mechanism operative and inoperative, the latter means being movable into and out of the path of the movement of the former means, so as to prevent the feed of the material as long as the operating mechanism is inoperative, and

so as to prevent rendering the mechanism inoperative as long as the material is being fed to the mechanism.

7. In a device of the character described, in combination, an operating mechanism, movable feed control means for said operating mechanism, movable means for ren- ,dering said operating mechanism operative and inoperative, the latter means controlling the first means and interrelated therewith in both operative and inoperative position.

8. In a device of the character described, in combination, an operating mechanism comprising comminuting members, means for rendering said comminuting members operative and inoperative comprising electrical control means, feed control means for said members comprising a movable valve, said electrical means being positioned in relation to said valve to permit movement of the valve to the open position only when said members are operative and permit said ntiembers to be made inoperative only upon movement of said valve to the closed position.

In Witness whereof, I have signed this specification, this 27th day of June, 1924.

ADOLF M. PETERS. 

